Apparatus and method for forming, filling and sealing packaging containers each comprising one pouring device

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to an apparatus ( 10 ) for forming, filling and sealing bags ( 5 ) each comprising one pouring device ( 1 ), having a first application device ( 15 ) for forming a hole in a flexible material web ( 12 ) and for attaching at least one part ( 2 ) of the pouring device ( 1 ) to the material web ( 12 ), a device ( 23 ) for forming a hose ( 25 ) from at least one material web ( 12 ), a filling device ( 28 ) for filling the hose ( 25 ) or the bag ( 5 ) and a cross-seam seal and separation device ( 33 ) for separating one bag ( 5 ) each from the hose ( 5 ), wherein the device ( 23 ) for forming the hose ( 25 ) forms the hose ( 25 ) from a single material web ( 12 ) by means of a reshaping device ( 24 ) and wherein a first part ( 2 ) of the pouring device ( 1 ) is fastened to the side ( 3 ) of the material web ( 12 ) forming the interior of the bag ( 5 ) before forming the hose ( 25 ).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to an apparatus, according to the preamble of claim 1, for forming, filling and sealing packaging containers each comprising a pouring device. The invention further relates to a method according to the preamble of the independent claim.

An apparatus is already known from US 2003/0001002 A1. In the known apparatus, beverage cartons are produced with a pouring device comprising a straw. The pouring device, congruent with a hole formed in a material web, is arranged on the side of the material web that forms the subsequent inner face of the carton. From the outside of the carton, provision can be made to cover or seal the pouring device by means of a protective film.

The known apparatus is not suitable for processing or introducing charges which require a certain shelf life or in which formation of germs has to be prevented or delayed, as is necessary, for example, in the case of milk or similar charges.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Proceeding from the stated prior art, the object of the invention is to develop an apparatus for forming, filling and sealing packaging containers each comprising a pouring device, in such a way that it is also possible to package and introduce charges for which the shelf life and formation of germs are critical. At the same time, the structure of the apparatus is intended to be as simple as possible and to have only short downtimes in the event of malfunctions. The invention is based on the concept of sterilizing the material web and keeping it free of germs by using a sterilizing device that is arranged outside application devices for the pouring device, wherein the access to the application devices is particularly easy through sluices or the like not required in the area of the sterilizing device. It is thereby possible to carry out adjustment work or to fit the application devices with parts of the pouring device, without this requiring intervention in the area of the sterilizing device. In particular, a very quick restart after such interventions is thereby permitted.

In a particularly advantageous development of the invention, provision is made that the shaping device is designed as a forming shoulder, and that a filling pipe of the filling device is arranged in the forming shoulder, through which filling pipe the tube is filled prior to the formation of a head seal on the bag. By this combination of features it is possible to fill the bags across a much greater cross section, such that a substantially higher output of the apparatus can be achieved. The filling cross section can correspond almost to the cross section of the tube or the bags.

In order to permit simple transport of the material web, in particular also via the forming shoulder, as soon as the first part of the pouring device is connected to the material web, provision is also particularly preferably made that the first part of the pouring device comprises a plate-shaped element that completely covers the hole in the material web, and that the second part comprises a mouthpiece with a lid element, which is connected to the first part, in particular by ultrasonic friction welding. By means of the plate-shaped element being relatively thin in its height, it is easily possible to draw the material web over the forming shoulder and the device for forming the bags, without these needing to have a particularly complicated design to ensure that they do not conflict with the first parts of the pouring device.

Arranging the pouring device in the head area of the bags has the advantage that the bags can easily be completely emptied by tilting the bags.

Moreover, production facilities are particularly preferred which comprise at least two mutually parallel apparatuses according to the invention for forming, filling and sealing bags each comprising a pouring device. In this way, the output of the installation can be increased relatively easily, and it may also be possible to use, for example, the same devices, for example the same delivery devices, in order to reduce the cost of equipment for a defined output.

It is particularly preferable if the apparatuses have a common sterilizing device or a common control device.

The invention further relates to a method for forming, filling and sealing packaging containers each comprising a pouring device and to bags produced by this method.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further advantages and features of the invention will become clear from the following description of preferred illustrative embodiments and from the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a very simplified view of an apparatus according to the invention for forming, filling and sealing bags each comprising a pouring device, so as to explain the basic structure and the basic mode of operation,

FIG. 2 shows a slightly more detailed view of the apparatus according to FIG. 1, and

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a production facility consisting of two apparatuses according to the invention as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the figures, identical parts or elements are designated by the same reference numbers.

FIG. 1 shows an apparatus 10 for forming, filling and sealing bags 5 each comprising a pouring device 1. The apparatus 10 comprises a storage device 11, in which a flexible material web 12 made of heat-sealable plastic material is stored in the form of a roll 13. Possible materials for the material web 12 are all materials from the prior art that are suitable for producing so-called “tubular bags”. Viewed in the feed direction of the material web 12 as indicated by the arrow 14, the storage device 11 is followed by a first application device 15 for the pouring device 1. Here, the first application device 15 has a punch 16 in particular, which punches a hole (not shown) in the material web 12, and the separated and in particular circular waste material is collected in a collecting vessel 18, which is located on the opposite side of the material web 12 from the punch 16.

The punch 16 is followed by an applicator 19 (not shown in detail) which attaches the plate-shaped first part 2 of the pouring devices 1 to the side 3 of the material web 12 forming the subsequent inner face of the bags 5 and connects it thereto. An ultrasonic friction welding connection is provided, for example, as the connecting technique between the first part 2 of the pouring device 1 and the material web 12.

Thereafter, the material web 12, provided with the first parts 2 of the pouring devices 1 arranged at uniform intervals from each other, passes into the area of a sterilizing device 20. The sterilizing device 20 is explained in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. To form the bags 5 from the material web 12, a forming device 23 is provided that has a forming shoulder 24 over which the material web 12 is pulled in a known manner and shaped, in order to form a tube 25 therefrom. Here, a filling pipe 27 of a filling device 28 passes through the forming shoulder 24, again in a known manner, through which filling pipe 27 one of more charges, in particular liquid charges, can be dispensed into the tube 25. Here, the filling device 28 comprises a filler or doser, designated by reference number 29 in FIG. 1. Arranged below the forming shoulder 24, but still at the level of and in the area of the filling pipe 27, there is a second application device 30 for a second part 4 of the pouring devices 1. Here, the second part 4 of the pouring device 1 is designed as a mouthpiece, which is preferably provided with a screw-on lid, and the second part 4 is connected to the first part 2 of the pouring device 1 from the outside 6 of the tube 25. Here, the two parts 2 and 4 of the pouring device 1 are preferably connected by means of ultrasonic friction welding.

Below the second device 30 there is a transverse-seam-sealing device 33, which has two mutually movable transverse-seam-sealing jaws 34, 35, in particular with integrally arranged separating devices and folding devices in order, on the one hand, to form the bottom areas 7 and head areas 8 of the bags 5 and, on the other hand, to separate a bag 5 from the tube 25. As can also be seen from FIG. 1, the pouring devices 1 are arranged on the bags 5 in each case in an obliquely extending head wall 9 of the bag 5. The figure also shows a longitudinal-seam-sealing device 36, which is in the area of the filling pipe 27 and which has at least one longitudinal-seam-sealing jaw 37, such that the two superposed edge areas of the material web 12 can be sealed together to form the tube 25.

As can be seen only from FIG. 3, further longitudinal-seam-sealing jaws 58 are provided below the longitudinal-seam-sealing jaw 37 in order to form four longitudinal seams on the tube 25, which are arranged in the respective corner areas of the bags 5 in order to form a bag 5 having an overall rectangular or square cross section. Here, the two longitudinal seams not connecting the two lateral end areas of the material web 12 are designed as so-called blind seams.

It will also be seen from FIG. 1 that the sterilizing device 20 follows the first application device 15 for the pouring devices 1 and has a housing 38, which encloses the area of the forming device 23, in particular of the forming shoulder 24, and ends just above the second application device 30 for the pouring devices 1.

Part of the apparatus 10 is shown in slightly greater detail in FIG. 2, with respect to which further details are now described that cannot be seen in FIG. 1. Thus, dancing rollers 40, 41 can be seen, on the one hand between the storage device 11 and the first application device 15, and on the other hand between the first application device 15 and the sterilizing device 20, which dancing rollers 40, 41 permit compensation between the material web 12 fed continuously inside the sterilizing device 20 and the material web 12 fed stepwise in the area of the first application device 15. Moreover, the sterilizing device 20 that may be necessary in some cases is shown in more detail. It contains a peroxide bath 42 through which the material web 12 is guided via several deflection rollers 43, in order to effect sterilization of the material web 12 on both sides 3 and 6 thereof. The peroxide bath 42 is followed, inside the housing 38, by a drying device 44 which in a known manner, for example by means of wiper nozzles 39 arranged on the opposite sides 3 and 6 of the material web 12, wipes the peroxide film from the material web 12. The wiper nozzles 39 are followed by heating and drying devices 45, 46, which are likewise located on both sides 3 and 6 of the material web 12 and which dry off the material web 12. The sterilizing device 20 also comprises ventilation devices 47 and catalytic converters 48.

The drying device 44 is followed by a transport device 50 which, by means of rollers, feeds the material web 12 continuously with friction. The transport device 50 is followed by further dancing rollers 51 for intermediate storage of a web section of the material web 12. FIG. 2 also shows two vacuum-assisted withdrawal belts 53, 54 which are arranged on opposite sides of the filling pipe 27 in order to withdraw the material web 12 or the shaped tube 25 intermittently via the forming shoulder 24.

FIG. 3 shows a production facility 100, which comprises two apparatuses 10 according to the invention arranged parallel to each other. This means that the production facility 100 contains more or less all of the above-described structural parts of the apparatus 10 in duplicate. However, for simplicity and to make the drawing clearer, FIG. 3 does not show all of the elements that have already been described in the context of FIGS. 1 and 2. Provision is advantageously made that the apparatuses 10 can also share certain devices. Thus, it is conceivable in particular that the apparatuses 10 have a common sterilizing device 25 and, if appropriate, a common control device. In this way, by comparison with a single apparatus 10, output can be doubled, and it is possible to reduce the cost in terms of equipment. FIG. 3 also shows a conveyor device 55 on which the finished bags 5 are transported onward, for example in order to provide them with another outer packaging. It will also be noted that the transverse-seam-sealing device 33 has movable plate elements 56, 57, by means of which the bottom areas 7 and head areas 8 of the bags 5 are respectively shaped. Above the withdrawal belts 53, 54, additional longitudinal-seam-sealing jaws 58 are also shown with which the longitudinal seams arranged in the corner areas of the bags 5 are formed. 

1. An apparatus (10) for forming, filling and sealing packaging containers in the form of bags (5), each bag (5) comprising a pouring device (1), the apparatus comprising [[with]] a first application device (15) for forming a hole in a flexible material web (12) and for attaching at least one part (2) of the pouring device (1) to the material web (12), a device (23) for forming a tube (25) from the material web (12), a filling device (28) for filling the tube (25), and a transverse-seam-sealing and separating device (33) for separating in each case one bag (5) from the tube (25), wherein the device (23) for forming the tube (25) has a shaping device (24), wherein the first application device (15) is arranged upstream of the shaping device (24), and wherein the first application device (15) secures the first part (2) of the pouring device (1) on a side (3) of the material web (12) forming an inner face of the bags (5), characterized in that a sterilizing device (20) is provided for sterilizing the material web (12), in that the first application device (15) is arranged upstream of the sterilizing device (20), in that a second application device (30) for securing a second part (4) of the pouring device (1) is provided, which is arranged upstream of the transverse-seam-sealing and separating device (33) in the area of a filling pipe (27) and connects the second part (4) of the pouring device (1) from an outside (6) of the tube (25) to the first part (2) of the pouring device (1), and in that the second application device (30) follows the sterilizing device (20) and is arranged outside the sterilizing device (20).
 2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the sterilizing device (20) has a housing (38) enclosing the shaping device (24), and in that the second application device (30) directly follows the housing (38).
 3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the shaping device is designed as a forming shoulder (24), and in that the filling pipe (27) of the filling device (28) is arranged in the forming shoulder (24), through which filling pipe (27) the tube (25) is filled prior to the formation of a head seal (8) on the bag (5).
 4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the device (23) for forming the tube (25) is followed by at least one longitudinal-seam-sealing device (36) with longitudinal-seam-sealing jaws (37, 58) for forming longitudinal seams in corner areas of the tube (25).
 5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the first part (2) of the pouring device (1) comprises a plate-shaped element that completely covers the hole in the material web (12), and in that the second part (4) comprises a mouthpiece with a lid element, which is connected to the first part (2).
 6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the pouring device (1) is arranged in a head area (8) of the bag (5).
 7. (canceled)
 8. (canceled)
 9. A method for forming, filling and sealing packaging containers in the form of bags (5), each bag (5) comprising a pouring device (1), in which method a first application device (15) forms holes in a flexible material web (12) and attaches at least a first part (2) of the pouring device (1) to the material web (12) in the area of the holes, after which a tube (25) is then formed by means of a device (23) for forming a tube (25) from the material web (12), wherein the tube (25) is filled by means of a filling device (28), and a bag (5) is in each case separated from the tube (25) by means of a transverse-seam-sealing and separating device (33), wherein the first part (2) of the pouring device (1) is secured, prior to the formation of the tube (25), on a side (3) of the material web (12) forming an inner face of the bags (5), characterized in that a second part (4) of the pouring device (1) is connected from an outside (6) of the tube (25) to the first part (2) of the pouring device (1), and in that the two parts (2, 4) of the pouring device (1) are connected to the material web (12) or to the tube (25) outside a sterilizing device (20).
 10. (canceled)
 11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the second part (4) is connected to the first part (2) by ultrasonic friction welding.
 12. A production facility (100) comprising at least two apparatuses (10) for forming, filling and sealing packaging containers in the form of bags (5), each bag (5) comprising a pouring device (1), each of the at least two apparatuses comprising: a first application device (15) for forming a hole in a flexible material web (12) and for attaching at least one part (2) of the pouring device (1) to the material web (12), a device (23) for forming a tube (25) from the material web (12), a filling device (28) for filling the tube (25), and a transverse-seam-sealing and separating device (33) for separating in each case one bag (5) from the tube (25), wherein the device (23) for forming the tube (25) has a shaping device (24), wherein the first application device (15) is arranged upstream of the shaping device (24), and wherein the first application device (15) secures the first part (2) of the pouring device (1) on a side (3) of the material web (12) forming an inner face of the bags (5), characterized in that a sterilizing device (20) is provided for sterilizing the material web (12), in that the first application device (15) is arranged upstream of the sterilizing device (20), in that a second application device (30) for securing a second part (4) of the pouring device (1) is provided, which is arranged upstream of the transverse-seam-sealing and separating device (33) in the area of a filling pipe (27) and connects the second part (4) of the pouring device (1) from an outside (6) of the tube (25) to the first part (2) of the pouring device (1), and in that the second application device (30) follows the sterilizing device (20) and is arranged outside the sterilizing device (20).
 13. The production facility of claim 12, characterized in that the at least two apparatuses (10) are arranged parallel to one another.
 14. The production facility of claim 13, characterized in that a common sterilizing device (20) is provided for the apparatuses (10).
 15. The production facility of claim 13, characterized in that a common control device is provided for the apparatuses (10). 